Jigsaw puzzles



Dec. 23, 1969 P. E. BRUNTON JIGSAW PUZZLES Filed July 31. 1967 United States Patent 3,485,496 JIGSAW PUZZLES Phillip E. Brunton, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa, assignor to Gamma Inventions (PTY) Limited, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa Filed July 31, 1967, Ser. No. 657,269 Claims priority, application Republic of South Africa, Aug. 10, 1966, 66/4,756 Int. Cl. A63f 9/12 US. Cl. 273-157 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A jigsaw puzzle is made from corrugated cardboard and the assembled pieces are held together by rods insorted into the channels and crossing the joints, so that parts of the assembled puzzle can be vertical, to make a three-dimensional structure. The vertical and horizontal parts can also be held together by adhesive tape.

This invention relates to improvements in jigsaw puzzles.

Although jigsaw puzzles are of ancient origin, they have limitations.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle and method of solving same.

According to the invention, there is provided a method of solving a jigsaw puzzle which consists of interlocking pieces cut from a sheet of corrugated board having a picture applied to one face thereof, the method comprising reassembling the pieces of the jigsaw, passing thin rods through the corrugations of some of the pieces to cross the joints between these pieces, dividing the assembled pieces into units, and elevating some of the units relative to the others to form a three-dimensional struc ture, preferably the thin rods crossing the joints between the horizontal and elevated units being bent thus holding the units at the appropriate angle to each other.

Alternatively, the method includes securing together adjacent elevated and other units by adhesive tape.

Also according to the invention, there is provided a jigsaw puzzle comprising a plurality of pieces cut from corrugated board, the pieces being assembled into units the assembled pieces held together by thin rods crossing the joints between the pieces, some of the units being elevated relative to the others, the meeting edges of elevated and other units being connected together against inadvertent separation by adhesive tape.

As the thin wires a wide variety of materials may be utilized. However, it is preferred to use flexible wire covered with suitable friction material. Pipe cleaners are excellent for the purpose.

The three-dimensional effect of the invention may be enhanced by moulding projections onto the pieces e.g. to depict relatively low topographical features. These may be moulded in any suitable material such as papier mache, clay, plaster of paris or plastic.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an assembled puzzle,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a partially assembled structure,

FIGURE 3 is an exploded view of units being assembled.

The completed assembly is a house, as is seen in FIG- URE 1. It consists of walls 10, a gable roof 12, and a garden 14 surrounding the house. The puzzle is made by applying the appropriate drawing or picture to each of the 3,485,496 Patented Dec. 23, 1969 elements, and then cutting element into pieces, as is done for ordinary two-dimensional jigsaw puzzles. However, in the puzzle of the invention, instead. of cardboard, the elements are made of corrugated board 18 (FIGURE 2) composed of outer plies 20 and a sinuous core 22 that, w th the outer plies, forms longitudinal cavities 24 runrung the length of the board. Corrugated board of a thickness of, say, three or four millimetres, can readily be cut 1nto pieces by standard machinery used for cutting ordinary jigsaw puzzles.

In assembling the puzzle, the corrugations or cavities 24 become re-aligned when the pieces are brought into their correct positions. When this has been done, on a flat surface, the pieces are maintained in assembled positlon by passing rods 26 along the corrugations to cross the joints. When all pieces have been thus pinned together the assembled unit can be freely handled without becoming dissociated, and can he stood vertically.

The several units 10, 12 and 14 are thus assembled. The garden unit, 14, being horizontal in the completed assembly, need not, be pinned, but it is advisable that it be for stability.

The verticals, such as the walls 10, are secured to the horizontals, such as the garden 14, by rods 26 that cross the joint between the two units and are bent to right angles either before or after assembly; or, if the non-horizontal units are sloped, then bent to whatever is the required angle. Alternatively the adjacent pieces of the horizontal and vertical units are unitary and are bent through a right angle (30, FIGURE 3), and, the units 27, 28 having been assembled, these pieces are bent to enable the verticals to be erected. This causes the rods 29 at the joint to be bent at right angles.

The meeting edges of vertical units can either be connected by adhesive tape, or as seen in FIGURE 3, rods 32 are bent to hairpin shape and pushed into the end corrugations of the units forming the cover.

Yet another way of securing verticals to horizontals or horizontals to horizontals at an angle, is to assemble the units and then secure them together with adhesive tape (34, FIGURE 2).

The roof 12 is assembled in the fashion just described, and is then placed over the walls 10. It may be held there gravitationally, or may be secured by adhesive tape.

Where doors and windows occur in the walls 10, as at 36, they may be cut into pieces and assembled with short rods crossing the joints, and the adjoining pieces of wall and window or door may be sulcated (as at 30, FIG- URE 3) to form hinges. Alternatively, the door or window may be separate from the walls and the hinge provided by adhesive tape.

Suitable projections may be moulded on to units, such, for instance, as contours on the garden unit to simulate hillocks. Trees and shrubs 40 may be built up as units, with rods 42 crossing the joints, and mounted on the garden unit, for instance by small blocks 44 glued in place, or by adhesive tape.

The rods may be pieces of metal wire, or lengths of plastic sticks, or pipe-cleaners. If the angles are to be spanned by rods, it is necessary that those rods, at least be initially bent, or be bendable. Otherwise, unbending rods, like plastic sticks, are suitable. A bundle of rods of different length may be incorporated in the puzzle, or a stock or rods may be included that are to be cut to size by the user.

In FIGURE 1, rods are shown projecting from the edges of the assembled units. This is done just for purposes of illustration. In practice the rods would be pushed fully into the corrugations or would be cut off at the edges.

The finished product is surprisingly robust and is well adapted to stand up to harsh treatment as a childs toy.

I claim:

1. A method of solving a jigsaw puzzle which consists of interlocking pieces cut from a sheet of corrugated board having a picture applied to one face thereof, the method comprising reassembling the pieces of the puzzle, passing thin rods through the corrugations of some of the pieces to cross the joints between these pieces, 'dividing the assembled pieces into units, and elevating some of the units relative to the others to form a three-dimensional structure whereby thin rods crossing the joints between the horizontal and elevated units are bent aiid hold the units at the appropriate angle to each other.

2. A method of solving a jigsaw puzzle which consists of interlocking pieces cut from a sheet of corrugated board having a picture applied to one face thereof, the method comprising reassembling the pieces of the puzzle, passing thin rods through the corrugations of some of the pieces to cross the joints between these pieces, dividing the assembled pieces into units and elevating some of the units relative to the others to form a three-dimensional structure, and securing together adjacent elevated and other units by adhesive tape.

3. A jigsaw puZZle comprising a plurality of pieces cut from corrugated board, the pieces being reassembled into units, thin rods crossing the joints between the reassembled pieces to hold them together, some of the units 4 being elevated relative to others, the meeting edges of elevated and other units being connected together against inadvertent separation by adhesive tape.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,428,628 10/1947 Keston 46-21 1,348,725 8/1920 Lundy. 1,914,845 6/1933 Cook 22937 2,011,058 8/1935 Krase 273-157 2,201,724 5/1940 Gable 273-157 X 2,395,312 2/1946 Barnes 273-157 2,996,832 8/1961 Rubin 273157 X 3,100,642 8/1963 Goldstein 4611 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,079,940 5/1954 France.

216,897 12/1909 Germany.

261,772 7/1913 Germany.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 4621, 31 

